Patol Babu at one time had real passion for stage. It verged on obsession. In Jatras, in amateur theatricals, in plays put up by the club in his neighbourhood, he was always in demand, his name had even appeared in handbills on many occasions. There was a time when people bought tickets especially to see him. One day he was offered a part to play in a film directed by Baren Mullick. Patol Babu thought his lifelong dream coming true. When he reached the site of the shooting he was given his dialogue. To Patol Babu’s surprise it was not a proper dialogue but only an expression ‘Oh’. Patol Babu felt discouraged, he found it rather strange. He thought that those people were trying to make fun of him as he was a simple man.

On asking he was informed that this was a regular speaking part. A speaking part in a Baren Mullick film – didn’t he realise what that meant? Why he was the luckiest of the actors? There were at least a hundred who had appeared in this film who had had nothing to say, even the hero had no lines to speak that day. Patol Babu was the only one who had.

Patol Babu thought about his mentor’s advice that however small a part may be you should never consider it beneath your dignity to accept it, a play/film is a combined effort.

Patol Babu now thought that this little word ‘Oh’ if spoken in different ways carried different meaning. Why had he then felt so disheartened when this single word contained a gold mine of meanings? A true actor could make a mark with this single word.